Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 798,080 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped three feet this week and is currently at 912 ft. above sea level and 173 ft. from full. The water is stained in most areas of the lake, and fairly clear in others. There are mud lines forming near the shore throughout the day, especially on windy days. The average water temperature is 70-75 degrees and rising daily. The boat launch ramps on the Glory Hole side have been moved back out to the end of the point.


Trout: Slow. Night fishing for trout has been good. Most anglers fishing under submersible lights are catching limits of chunky 2-pound rainbows. Nightcrawlers and Power Bait are working well. The trout will school in deeper/cooler water during the hot summer heat and move into shallow water at night to feed. It is a good idea to anchor in 40-60' of water that is near 100-200' areas. Drop your light 10-20' down and fish your presentations below that. Trolling anglers are catching a few trout while targeting kokanee. The fish are at many different depths and scattered about. In the next couple months they will definitely be favoring the cooler water near the river channel in the main lake. Excel, Needlefish, and Speedy Shiner spoons are all good choices for trolling. Another setup that produces many fish is a flasher/crawler combo. Try threading a crawler onto a straight shank hook and trolling it behind a string of flashers or a teardrop dodger.


Bank fishing for trout has been very slow. Trout season is open for rivers, and streams, it might be best to try your luck in these areas. If you do choose to target trout from the bank try using chartreuse or rainbow garlic Power Bait. Fly fishing anglers try fishing nymphs under an indicator during the day and switching to mayfly patterns during the evening. Also, try using buggers and streamers in the high country lakes. We do encourage catch and release for the brown trout as The Department of Fish and Game will no longer be planting them. Carefully measure, weigh and photograph trophy fish and send us pictures and information.


Kokanee: Good. Each week we are seeing and hearing of some nice kokanee being caught. The average size is 11-13" with a few fish measuring 14-16". The fish are schooling in deep water off of Glory Hole Point and near the dam, spillway and Rose Island. A variety of colors are producing limits. Pink is always a good choice with orange and chartreuse bringing in limits as well. The water has a green tint so it is best to use dodgers that have a high reflective quality. Gold and copper are good choice when trolling in stained water. Fish will be keying on baits that disperse water and create vibration. Try using spinners, Apex and bladed hoochies. It is also a good idea to modify your dodgers by adding a little bend to them. This modification will give the blade and bait more side-to side swing. Scent is very important when fishing in water with less visibility. Garlic, bloody tuna, anise, and kokanee special will work. Don't forget to tip your presentations with dyed and scent shoepeg corn.


Bass: Fair. The spawn is over and the fish are pulled back off the banks and are in the process of recuperation. They are feeding in the mornings and evening on reaction type baits and top water baits. Smaller popper type baits have been working well. Try using Pop-R's, Live Target, and Gunfish to coax surface strikes. During the day the fish will move out toward deeper water. At this time of the year the bass are still in a protective/defensive mode. Try using large soft plastic baits that have many appendages to aggravate the fish. Brush Hogs and lizards are both good baits and can be fished on many different presentations. There are some bass that are targeting schools of shad. These fish are bit harder to locate and catch. Once you locate these shad eaters try using hard and soft plastic jerk baits to catch them. A shad patterned worm fished on a drop shot rig will also catch these fish well. Please practice catch and release. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.


Catfish: Very Good. The big cats are up in shallow water and feeding heavily. The water temperature is getting warmer each day which has encouraged the cats to move shallow. Try using frozen shad or a ball of crawlers to target these fish. Catfish are drawn to bait by scent so it is a good idea to add additional scent to your bait.


Crappie: Slow. The crappie have been hard to find, try your luck at night fishing under a submersible light.